The Diner Sessions Part I
by tmpayne
Summary: Continuation of Letters.  Brennan and Booth explore feelings while investigating different cases.  This is chapters 1-5.  Enjoy.  I don't own anything of Bones and I don't make any money off of this.  Consider this my disclaimer.


**Chapter 1 Dreams **

Brennan:

It had been a very long day on the current case. The letters we had shared during the last year had complicated things more than I could have anticipated. I thought that when we got back that we could carry on the way we had when we left. I was wrong. I began to realize life was so much easier living in the land of the oblivious. I could at least go about my day thinking objectively and without any outside mental distraction. Now whenever he looked at me a certain way, I could feel my concentration drift to him instead of what I was doing. The letters had made it so hard for me to compartmentalize. I could not forget the words of his letters in my off time. I memorized the words that he had said to me at the reflecting pool. He told me was more than ready to talk whenever I was.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't see Booth leaning on the frame of my office doorway. There he was smiling up at me. I used to think that the idea that any man could have any power over my concentration and emotion was preposterous. The last year had reversed that idea fast. His smile could always get my attention.

"Ready Bones? I am starving here. I gotta fatten up again" I heard him say humorously.

I was ready to tell him that he did not need to pack on any weight just yet. He was looking good enough for me stare from time to time. I never said it. I grabbed my coat and was on my way out. I could feel his hand touch the small of my back as I left the office. A year ago, it had no effect what so ever. I would have thought nothing of it. I was now acutely aware of it. What was more was the fact that he was being so patient with me.

Ever the gentleman, he helped me into the SUV. I was beginning to think that soon I would be able to be more verbally open. I thought of the words I wanted to say as he started the SUV. I know that the choice of words was important so not to scare the man. I know that in the past, I would put up my walls so that he would be a safe distance. The letters brought him too close to me for me to do that now.

"Booth, we need to talk." I heard the words spill out of my mouth.

"Sure, something wrong? Did I do anything?" I heard him say with alarm.

"Don't worry. You did not do anything wrong. You told me that when I was ready to start talking about the last year, let you know. I am ready to talk a little. I did not mean to alarm you." I answered offering a gentle smile to help him calm down.

"No rush here. How does the diner sound for tonight's meal?" He asked me.

"That sounds good. I have missed that place more than I thought I would." I answered sounding so different than my usual self.

"I guess I did rub off on you. I have never known you to be really sentimental. I like that." He said smiling that smile that could make me forget all rationality.

We took our usual seat and I eagerly waited for the food that I had missed. I was enjoying the company also. I had dreamed of this by night for the last year only to wake up in the jungle doing research. Tell him that, I heard my mind say. It would be a start and beside you would start feeling better, I could hear it also say. I found it funny how that voice inside my mind sounded too much like Angela and not enough like my own.

I admitted that I dreamed of him daily. Though the dreams were fulfilling by night, they left me feeling extra disappointed. Instead of waking up to his face, I was waking up to the hot, humid jungle of Indonesia.

I guess I had caught him off guard because I could see a surprised smile as he wiped the ketchup from his mouth.

"Funny, I know that feeling well. I used to dream of sitting across from you at this very table eating this same burger only to be annoyed by reality. I woke up to tasteless MRE's and too many camouflaged uniforms looking at me." He answered and I believed him.

"I loved those dreams though. It meant that you were with me for just a few hours. I never thought that I would miss you as much as I did. You made me more aware of my feelings. I hated you some nights for it and I also loved you for it sometimes." I answered actually blushing.

I had unknowingly revealed too much. I saw that smile again and I knew he caught something in those words the same as I had.

"You know Bones, I have to admit something to you and I wanted you to know it. You were the best part of those dreams. You know how I feel about you and I still have not changed my mind. I did dream of you every night in Afghanistan and it made the whole thing easier to handle." He confessed to me.

I could feel the feeling that I tried to suppress, grow from the size of an atom to a small snowball to a huge boulder fast. He was looking into my eyes and I knew that I was in trouble. I could feel him touch my hand. I knew for certain from there I was in serious trouble. I could have kissed him then but the phone rang. Angela and Hodgins were just checking on me. Angela you are an angel, I thought to myself. We ate our meal, paid the tab and went our own ways for the night. I never thought that dreams could get me in so much trouble.

Booth:

The day had been grueling, long, and very hard to get through. I never thought that those letters would make it so hard to do my job. I had always been aware of her, but now I could feel far too much to concentrate on the task at hand. I thought those letters would help me be able to work around her without all this pent up feeling. Wrong, wrong, wrong. She was still far too beautiful and far too irresistible for me to not notice my thoughts.

The sound of my grumbling stomach reminded me that it was time to get some chow. My mouth watered at the thought of a big, juicy cheeseburger with real ketchup and mustard. Bones' company was an added bonus. I would nightly dream of that and sometimes so much more. Thank God that she didn't have the gift of mind reading.

I leaned on the frame of her door waiting for her to be aware of my presence. I asked her if she was ready to go and told her I was starving. I jokingly said that I really needed to fatten up a little. The expression on her face I could not read. I don't know if she was admiring the view or if she was just distracted with shutting off the computer.

She answered my question by grabbing her coat. I put my hand in the small of her back. I could feel the muscles stiffen as if she had been shocked. She had never reacted this way before to my touch. I did not know whether to take this as a sign of encouragement or as a sign of impending trouble. I did as I always had done. I helped her into the SUV like the gentleman I was raised to be. I had felt an unexplainable change in the air

I heard the three words that can strike fear into the heart of any man when it comes from a woman. WE NEED TO TALK. I tried not to show my alarm but I wear my heart on my sleeve so plainly. I asked if I had done anything wrong as a knee jerk reaction to the question. I saw her try to reassure me with those hazel eyes and beautiful smile. It helped a little, but I still felt a little scared by those words.

We ordered our food and were eating for a moment when she opened her mouth.

"I used to dream of this every night. Oddly enough, I would wake up a little disappointed by the hot, humid jungle." She confessed.

I tried to hide being thrown off balance but I was terrible at it. I smiled as I wiped my mouth with my napkin. This is a good sign, I thought to myself. I felt better knowing that I was not the only one for once.

I confessed to her that I could completely relate. Instead of waking up to her, I found myself waking up to tasteless MRE's and a digital camouflage paradise. Both the bad MRE's and the uniforms seemed to fill me with disappointment.

"I loved those dreams though. It meant that you were with me for just a few hours. I never thought that I would miss you as much as I did. You made me more aware of my feelings. I hated you some nights for it and I also loved you for it." She confessed turning somewhat red.

I thought for a second that I heard her say she loved me. I did not push the issue out of fear the "Walls of Temperance" would come up. I could see the bricks were not in her hand for once after my words. I could feel the lines of communication opening up wide. This conversation had nothing to do with work at all. It was about US. I took a breath internally before I let out another confession that I had carried since I got back.

I admitted to her the secret I kept. I confessed that she was the best part of the dreams. I expressed very clearly that my feeling had not changed. I was stuck in my seat wondering where all her legendary bricks had gone. I had wondered if all this time had made her finally throw them away.

The walls did not come up at all. Her eyes reminded me of an endlessly blue ocean instead of a wall. We were looking into each other's eyes. I didn't know if she felt the urge to kiss me. I had the urge so strong that I had to restrain myself. As usual saved by the bell, the moment was saved "squint style". Angela had called and Bones reminded me that it was time to go. We paid the bill and gave the waitress a generous tip. She called a cab and made her way home. I climbed into my SUV happy to know that the step forward had been made. The first step had been hers and now all I could do is wait for her make it to me now. I never thought that dreams could open the line of communication. The relief felt amazing.

**Chapter 2 The True Measure of Beauty **

BOOTH

I was happy to have this case over with. After dealing with too many diva witnesses, I was grateful for dinner at the Royal Diner with someone with no diva in her at all. Bones' simplicity was especially refreshing.

Earlier this week, a body was found outside an abandon house. The remains turned out to be a missing photographer who specialized in photographing fashion models. It turned out that one of those models shot him. I had to interview too many models that were too full of themselves. I guess they thought I would be all over them. They weren't my type. I know that even Bones saw the women practically throw themselves at me. I didn't even give them a second thought because the only woman I wanted to see in that way was Bones,

I walked into her office and loudly plopped my butt down on the couch with a loud sigh.

" single one of them." I said with frustration in my voice.

Bones looked up from her computer with that expression she always had before my six favorite words.

"I don't know what that means." She said blankly.

How was it at moments like this she could be so irresistibly attractive yet so normal? I asked myself. This woman was supposed to be such a brilliant woman, yet pop culture turned her IQ to a toddler's 5 seconds.

"You really need to watch some TV some time. But then again after the long week I have had, I am thrilled to have you just as you are." I responded to her remark.

For a fleeting moment, I saw her look up at me with that smile that could get me to do anything if she asked me to. She could see when I was paying her a compliment, even if it made no sense to her at the time. Her simple complexity is what made me love her so much and what held my affection. That complexity was what made her so irresistibly hot to me. I never told her that. If it came up tonight in conversation, it would come out of my mouth. She had that amazing ability to get me to talk without any real effort.

"Bones, you know I am starving and seeing all those rail-thin models has built my appetite. I don't want to know what their diet consists of so I am going all out tonight. I guess I will eat for them." I said jokingly. By the look on her face, the humor missed her by a good mile.

"Let me get my things and we will be on our way. By the way, their diet can't be that bad." She answered.

I could see Angel and Hodgins watch us leave from the corner of my eye. Ever since we both returned from our sabbaticals, we were subject to their friendly, curious surveillance. I can't say that it made me feel very comfortable because sometimes it seemed like Angela was studying me.

We sat at our usual seat and I had my usual monster burger. The meal was relatively quiet. Bones had always had a way of bringing up subjects that I was hesitant to bring up. Those hesitant subjects always left me to deal with awkward situations. Letters were so much easier than this had been.

"Did you enjoy interviewing those models?" she asked inquisitively.

"Bones, what on earth made you ask that?" I asked thrown a little off balance by the question. I don't know why I had not seen the question coming.

"I mean you had to notice how physically attractive those women were being so thin and so well endowed. Any man anthropologically speaking would very likely forget his self-control and ask for phone numbers, despite their professional duty. Many men consider that a turn on. " She answered bluntly forgetting where we were and the company we were in.

"Looks aren't everything my dear doctor. I for one am partial to brilliant brains, compassionate hearts, kick ass feistiness, and a dash of physically attractive features. Everything you are, everything you have, and everything I have trouble resisting." I answered quiet enough where only she and I could hear.

I whispered my response out of embarrassment. I informed her that beauty was okay. I let her know that I was more attracted to brains, kick ass feistiness, and a compassionate heart. I wanted to tell her that I was drew me to everything about her. Her generous portions of beauty made her all the harder to resist.

I made the mistake of looking into those hazel eyes too long and now I had to get myself out of trouble here. The electrical sparks seemed to leap between the two of us while my brain was trying to figure out a way to change the direction of this conversation.

While our faces were inches apart, I redirected the questions back to her. I changed the gender of course. The question would have never made it out of my mouth if not for my self-control and awareness of where we were.

"That would not be an issue with me. I don't consider physical attributes of a man entirely when I look for in a man. I look at the attributes that are only apparent when I am with them. I take in account compassion, love for family, and how well I can trust him. All of those qualities with his pleasing symmetrical attributes you possess and I admire a great deal." She answered looking down at her coffee cup so that I could not see the color in her face change or the seductive smile she always had whenever she complimented me.

My watch beeped reminding me I need to get back to the apartment to get some sleep for the next day. If not for my self-control and some good breeding, I would have shown my words with a kiss that would have changed how her world would spin. I only helped her into her cab and said good night. I really hoped that she understood what I had done tonight. I think she did.

BRENNAN

By the end of the day, I was thoroughly exhausted by the meticulous work on the body I had to do. I was sure that Booth was having far more fun with his work than I was. I saw how those women practically threw themselves at him by smiling and flaunting their bodies with little shame. I don't know why I was so aware of it.

Booth walked into my office and loudly sat himself down onto the couch. I think I heard him say something about divas. My only response was my usual response to all of his pop culture references. I thought I also heard him say something about needing to watch more TV, but I also think that I heard a retraction of his words when he said he was grateful for it. I did not know whether to be flattered or worried.

At the request of dinner, I had my coat in hand and ready to go out the door. It seemed that I had developed an audience at dinner time that consisted of Angela and Hodgins. My best friend seemed to enjoy watching me leave for the day because there was always a smirk on her face when we left. I only offered a smile and a wave.

The meal was a rather quiet affair. After I was done eating, I felt the overwhelming urge to ask what had been on my mind all day.

I asked Booth if he took any enjoyment out of the interviews that he had conducted with all those models.

"Bone, what on Earth made you ask that?" Booth responded, a little surprised by my question.

I pointed out that the women would have been sexually appealing physically. I made a silent reference to their breasts in particular. I must have had a momentary lack of awareness of where we were. There were a few patrons actually staring back at us. I could see Booth looking visibly uncomfortable with the stares I had brought on to us.

"Looks aren't everything my dear doctor. I for one am partial to brains, compassionate hearts, kick ass feistiness, and a dash of physically attractive features. Everything you are, everything you have, and everything I have trouble resisting." He confessed to me with his face just inches from mine. I could feel just a little awkward and a little excited by our proximity. This could get us in trouble I could hear my mind say.

Just like I thought he would, he turned the question to me slightly reworded.

"You know Bones, I could ask you the same question. How would you have handled my job if all the models had been male?" he asked me close enough to feel the spark. Only he and I were privy to this conversation when he asked me.

I found myself admitting a lot more than I had planned to. I admitted that I was attracted to men who had a love for family, possessed compassion, and had trustworthiness. All of those qualities, every single one was in Booth. My Confession left me with an uncharacteristic color change. I stared into my empty coffee cup to hide it. I was not sure if I was hiding my smile or hiding the red that was on my face.

The moment was broken by the high pitch beeping of his watch. Like the gentleman he was, he helped me get into the cab. I could tell that he wanted to kiss me right then but the best part of his nature helped us both. I wanted to as well. He said good night and headed home. This case reminded me of what was the true measure of human beauty. It was what we were on the inside instead of the outside.

**Chapter 3 The Power of Jealousy **

**Third Season spoilers and Predator in the Pool.**

Booth's POV

It is hard for people fathom the depth of jealousy until you see the unforeseen consequences of the jealousy. Bone and I encountered exactly that ugly reality on the floor of one of the victim's apartments. The whole case started out with two decomposing bodies in an apartment that was to be rented out. We were called in at the Jeffersonian and we were in on our way to the location.

After the bodies were sent back to the Jeffersonian for the squints to do their magic, we at least knew the identities of the people that they once were. The bodies were of two 20 year old kids by the names of Brittany Smith and Joel Lock. After interviews with the family, we had a prime suspect. The name Simon Loggerhead came up in just about every interview we had. I guessed from how everyone spoke of him that he had a thing for Brittany and did not speak up. He stalked Brittany for a long time and we had the police reports to verify those facts.

When Joel came into the picture, Simon got it into his head to first make threatening phone calls. He started to send threatening letters to make Joel scram. Those tactics did not work out to Simon's advantage and Joel did not leave Brittany. His last resort was to go to Joel's apartment to tell him personally to leave her alone.

Simon's plan once again failed when Brittany answered Joel's apartment door. This sent Simon over the edge. Simon pointed the gun at Joel and pulled the trigger. Instead of wounding his rival, the bullet killed Brittany instantly. Simon became so enraged with her death, he irrationally blamed Joel for her death. Simon felt that Joel was responsible because he did not leave Brittany in the first place. If he would have left, Simon would have never had to do it in the first place.

Simon knew that if Joel ever told anyone anything, Simon would find himself behind murder charges. Once Simon realized that what he faced, he shot Joel. Thinking that he got away with the murder, he went twenty years with the secret inside him.

I watched as they hauled him down the hallway in hand cuffs, I wondered what could make a man do something so stupidly crazy. I did harbor some jealousy when I saw Bones with every man she ended up with, but I would have never killed. This whole case made me think like Bones. I thought about irrationality of jealousy and how people like to use it as an excuse to take someone else's life. I guess as much as I have been rubbing off on her, she had been rubbing off on me a little too.

I made my way back to the Jeffersonian so that I could get some dinner. The Royal Diner was becoming more of a date than a hang out since we got back. It seemed like the diner had been opening us up to things that we had left unspoken of before we spent a year apart.

I leaned on the door frame of her office waiting for her to look up at me or to just look down at the time. She looked up and offered me a tired smile. She still looked gorgeous tired, I thought to myself. I tried to hide the thought but the smile I showed must have given away the thought.

"Penny for your thoughts Booth?" she asked catching me off guard.

"Come again Bones" I said.

"I still don't understand what exactly it means, but I am guessing that it is the same as saying I want to know what you were thinking." She answered smiling.

I did not want to admit too much especially here. Angela was so interested in our dining out since we got back. I could have told her that she was still drop dead gorgeous, even when she was tired. I thought that highly inappropriate in this environment.

I told her I was happy to be waiting for her. I joke about how my stomach's rumbling was attracting attention in the lab.

"Come to think of it, I am very hungry myself. Just let me put this file up." She said getting up from her desk.

I found it hard not to admire the view from here. You are so hot in so many ways that you have no idea; I could hear my thoughts say. I found it to be a good thing that she could not read minds. I would have been scarlet with embarrassment.

I stepped aside as she exited the office, gently brushing her hand against mine unintentionally. I tried not to show a change of behavior but it was hard not to when I could feel the shock run through me. I looked up at her and she looked the way she did when she left her desk. I guess if she was feeling anything, she was a very good actress in hiding it.

We took our usual seats and ate the special on the menu for that day. I ordered a slice of pie and I saw that smile that she always had when she was trying to figure me out. She never did understand the pie thing much about me. I always liked pie.

I shocked Bones with I admitted to seeing things her way for a change. I told her that I started to see the pointlessness of jealousy. I actually started seeing jealousy as a very ridiculous emotion. I reassured her that even if someone was with her, I would never do anything to them to get to her. All I ever wanted for her was the best that life could offer. I also admitted to small doses of jealousy in the past.

I could see her eye brow go up in curiosity. Again my mind was rushing to find a way to cover my butt. I had single handedly admitted to jealousy when I had not intended to.

"You said no secrets. Right Booth?" she asked knowing that she was going to put me in an uncomfortable position.

I answered yes in words and in body language.

"With that being said, Were you jealous of Sully and all the rest of the men I have been with since we have working together?" she asked me being completely honest.

"Yes. If you must know, watching you with Sully was hard to deal with and even harder to deal with when he asked me how to get you in his bed." I answered quietly so not to attract attention to us.

I could see that seductive, girlish smile come across her lips as it always was when she knew that she drug something good out of me. I guess she knew what I was going to ask before I could turn the question around on her.

"I have been irrationally jealous of Catherine and I freely admit it now. See Booth I may be overly rational but I still have feelings."She said surprising me once again.

I looked her in the eye and told her she had no reason to be jealous. I didn't tell her why, but I had a feeling she already knew. My feelings were made as plain as day in our time of writing letters.

I knew I was taking a pretty big gamble when I did that but I had to say it. I saw a gentle beautiful smile instead of a shocked and frightened look that required me to cover my tail. She gently kissed my cheek and looked me in the eye.

"Thank you Booth. That is a very good thing to know." She replied back.

She called for the check and we both walked out the door. I helped her into the cab and wished her good night. The funny thing about jealousy is that no matter how destructive it can be, it can lead people to into admissions and hopefully open doors.

Brennan's POV

The case we had just closed had solidified my view on how some emotions are just too irrational to possess. I had heard of cases where jealousy was the motivation for a criminal action, but this one was really "took the cake" as Booth would have phrased it. A man tried to kill another man all because he wants a woman that he could not have. In the process of the attempt, he kills the woman he desires instead of the intended victim. To prevent a prison sentence, he shoots the rival. Even as I read over the file once more, I found it to be even more irrational. I could honestly say that I have never been that irrational toward anyone.

I could see Booth smiling at me in his usual quiet, charming way. I sometimes wondered what he was thinking in his head when he did that. Leaning in that doorway, I found him to be even more visually pleasing but I make it a point to not allow myself to venture far from rational behavior and thought. I looked up and just offered the best smile I could offer him. The hours had been long and relatively exhausting.

I asked Booth what he was thinking about an unusual way. I actually got popular figure of speech right..

I could tell that I had caught Booth slightly off guard because I had used one of his sayings right for once.

I let him know that the saying still made very still sense to me. I still wanted to know what he was thinking.

"I am just happy to be waiting for you. I am starving so much right now that my stomach is loud enough to wake up the dead." Booth responded in what appeared to be a cover up of his actual thoughts.

In hearing him say those words, I realized how hungry I was also. My stomach would never loud enough to wake up the dead because the dead, was after all, dead. I told him that I was starting to get hungry also in more clear words. I put away the file I had in my hand and grabbed my coat.

It appeared that our time at the Royal Diner was becoming more and more like a date than a friendly get together. Every session seemed to drag more out of me than what I wanted to share. Since the return from Maluku, I have found myself more willing to open up.

I felt the brush of his hand on mine. I could see the visible shock that he tried to hide but I felt the shock from somewhere I was not familiar with. Sully had never had that effect on me, nor had any other man in my past.

We sat at our same place in the Royal Diner. It was almost ritualistic. I say almost because for the first time we both got the special instead of our usual meals.

"You know Bones, this case was so irrational that even I saw it that way. Jealousy is never a good reason to hurt anyone. I would never actually harm anyone just so I could have you. No matter how jealous I got, I would just want the best for you. After all, I have been there and done that already." Booth said surprising me.

I could detect an unintentional confession. From the letters we communicated through, I could tell that it was true. I guess I felt an undercurrent subconsciously come from Booth when I was kissing Sully in the office. I always thought it irrational and relatively strange.

I asked Booth if he was jealous of Sully and the other men of my past. His response was a solid yes. Before he could turn the question around on me as he had a habit of doing, I answered his question.

I confessed to Booth that I had felt a sense of irrational jealousy toward Catherine. I pointed out that despite my extreme belief in rationality, I still had feelings like any other woman.

Booth looked into my eyes as he said the words that should not have surprised me, considering all that we had shared on paper.

"Bones, you have no one to be jealous of. How I feel about you changes how I feel about having another woman. I thought you would like to know." He said looking into my eyes.

My reaction must have took him by some surprise. I gently kissed his cheek in a show of appreciation.

I thanked Booth for his gentle honesty, as I prepared to call for the check.

Ever the gentleman, he helped me into the cab and I was on my way home. It occurred to me in light of this last case that jealousy had to be the most irrational emotion ever. That emotion no matter how illogical and irrational was powerful enough to open up the most closed of people.

**Chapter 4 The Pursuit of Happiness**

**Spoilers include The Beginning in the End, The Predator in the Pool, and The Woman in the Garden.**

It had been a very long and very bazaar case. Some remains had washed up by way of duffle bag. A man passing by happened to see it and looked inside to see what was in it. The lady had found bones inside the bag along with plastic name tag that had since been rendered useless. Frightened out of her mind, she called the police who then contacted the FBI, who contacted me. The remains turned out to be those of a wanted bank robber who had been missing for the last ten years.

Leroy James Mount had robbed a bank some years ago and he had not been seen since. Bones identified the victim, but now we had the task of figuring out the killer. After a lot of interviews and promising leads, we were led to a fifty year old man named Franklin Douglas James. During the interrogation he had admitted to killing Leroy after the robbery. Mr. James was supposed to be the getaway driver. He got to thinking that his partner in crime was going to leave rat him out in time and leave him penniless in the end.

Franklin shot Leroy and put the remains in the water anchored down. The river cut the bag loose revealing the only evidence of the crime. When I asked him his why he did it, he told me that all that money was his ticket to the life he had always hoped for. Franklin had dreamed of owning fancy things and not scrounging for survival. I watched them as they cuffed him and sent him on down the hall.

It made me wonder what the world was coming to when I heard his story. Has this world come to man for himself in the name of the pursuit of happiness? Or was it just my perception of the way this world was? My meter for all of that was Bones. Though she was not much on sociology or psychology, she did understand the world on the anthropological level because that had everything to do with her chosen occupation. Underneath that cold and impersonal outer shell that Bones was a wonderfully warm and loving person who had compassion for others. It did not always show in front of the people who did not know her.

My stomach broke my chain of thought with its obnoxious noise and even more annoying pain. I could hear my stomach telling me to look at my watch. It was telling me time to eat. I was in the mood for a thick burger and some fries. Bones presence across from me at the table always made the meal better.

I walked in and sat down on the couch waiting for her to wrap up her end of this investigation. Normally I stood in the doorway to get her attention. After the long day I had, sitting down sounded more appealing and inviting.

I attempted to use humor when I asked if she was ready to get some food.

"If you are referring the bug no." she answered misunderstanding the figure of speech.

I corrected her with a friendly ribbing. I tried using words she better understood. There is no way to misunderstand food, nourishment, or chow.

It was amazing how that woman could so easily miss a figure of speech when I used them. I actually found the confused look on her face to be adorably cute and a little on the sexy side. Mental note don't ever tell her that, I heard a voice in my head say.

"If you put it that way, yes I am." She answered flashing me gorgeous smile.

I grabbed her coat before she could even think about it. I must have surprised her by slipping it on her shoulders. I could see that she appreciated the gesture. Pops had raised me to be a gentleman and also taught me the value of chivalry. She offered her thanks for the gesture in the form of an irresistible smile. That had the amazing ability to bring me to my knees.

Usually I reserved conversation for the table but I felt the irresistible urge to talk on the way up.

I mentioned to Bones how odd this whole case appeared to me.

Her expression told me to continue.

I asked her if I was the only one who noticed that is this world had become every man for himself. I asked gauging her expression. All of this insanity seemed to be for material happiness. I told her how pointless it all seemed to me.

"Well Booth, anthropologically speaking the world has always been that way. From the time of the first Homo sapiens to now, we are always in the pursuit of what brings us happiness. For some individuals in this world, there is no consideration for anyone else in this society. In the case of Franklin, he felt the urge to kill his own friend to acquire a life style of his dreams." She answered sounding very scientific.

I then asked her if I was the only one who found something wrong with it. I was expecting another scientific answer.

She seemed to think a second about her response to the question, which was so unlike her. I could see in her facial expression that I would be surprised by her answer on this one. She would be answering from heart instead of her head.

"I don't feel that it is right to hurt anyone in the pursuit of happiness. I certainly would never knowingly hurt anyone just so I could have things they way I wanted them." She answered.

I opened the diner door for her so that she could get through the door. My gentlemanly manners should not have surprised her because after all we had known each other for over 5 years now. I pulled her chair out for her out of courtesy and again she flashed me a beautiful smile to say thank you. We ordered our meals and continued to talk further as we waited for our food. I heard my mind urge me to ask a question that had the potential to make her uncomfortable.

I felt the need to continue the conversation. I asked two questions. I asked her what brought her the truest happiness. I then asked her what lengths she would go to achieve that personal happiness. It appeared that I may have presented her with a loaded question.

"Well what brings me the truest happiness is doing what I do at the lab and spending time with the people who know me best. If anyone hurt any of those people, I surmise that I am capable of doing some pretty hazardous things to prevent it. After all, we have been there and done that already." She answered looking into my eyes with the kind of intimacy only reached in our letters and in our minds.

The placing of plates on the table broke the moment. We ate our meals quietly as if contemplating our next words carefully.

She looked at me as if to turn the question around on me like I knew she would. She had a knack for turning around a question on me, especially the revealing ones. I never would have thought that the letters would ever put me in this position. She already knew how I felt in my writing but I knew I had to express it in words. It did not matter if it was only in parts. This was so not to overwhelm our working relationship.

My answer to her question should not have shocked her. I explained to her my greatest joys were fatherhood, working for the FBI, and working with her. She understood me as I told her to what lengths I would go to protect the joys of my life. In the course of the conversation, I had gently taken her hand.

I was looking for an expression of alarm. I found a gentle smile instead. Her smile was accompanied with a gentle squeeze that we had parted with not so long ago. She did not have to say a word to respond to my words. Her body language spoke volumes. I motioned to the waitress to bring the bill so that I could pay it. Tonight was bill night for me and tip night for her. She put on her coat and I helped her get into the cab that took her home. I watched as the cab went down the road. The things we all do for the pursuit of the things that make us happiest.

BRENNAN'S POV

The case had affected Booth profoundly from where I was sitting. I could not fathom how anyone could take out his own friend just to be become wealthy. Booth came into the office and sat down on my couch. I was wrapping up my end of the investigation when he came in.

"So Bones you ready to get some grub?" Booth asked me.

Not understanding the expression, I answered it the only way I knew how.

Thinking for a moment that he was referring to Hodgins favorite organisms, I declined.

I could see that charming smile spread across his face right before he was about to correct me on a figure of speech that I got wrong.

"No Bones, that is a figure of speech for get some nourishment, some food, some chow." He corrected me trying not to laugh at my misunderstanding.

He shocked me a little when he grabbed my coat and put it on me physically. I had always known him to be a very chivalrous man, to a fault at times. I did appreciate the gesture and I made sure the appropriate amount of appreciation was shown with a smile.

On the way, up to the diner Booth struck up the conversation. The fact that it was not me for once threw me off a little.

"You know Bones, that case was so disturbing that it got me to thinking about something." Booth said sounding just a little perplexed.

I just gave him a look to tell him to keep going.

"Has this world become a world where everyone looks out for number one when it comes down to the pursuit of happiness?" he asked visibly concerned.

I answered his question anthropologically and scientifically because it was the only way I knew to answer. From the dawn of the dinosaurs self preservation has always been around, right or wrong. What Franklin had done was primal in nature and downright despicable all at the same time.

"Okay, my second question is: Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that? It all seems so wrong to me." He asked me sounding just a little unsettled by the realization that the case had brought.

I measured my words methodically and sensitively. I knew I had a heart but it was hard for me to formulate answers with it considering my heart had only recently been put to use. The letters had give my heart a voice.

I explained that I felt it wasn't right to hurt others to obtain our desires. I most certainly would not hurt anyone knowingly to obtain the things I desired most. I knew deep down that if I ever hurt someone else to get Booth , I would most likely hurt him more than already had in the last couple years.

The jealousy I felt toward Catherine nor would the loss of Booth for a year lead me to hurt him or anyone else. I cared far too much for him to do that to him. My most secret and longed for desires would never be as important as him.

"So I have a two part question for you. One, what is it that brings you the truest happiness? Two what would make you go to extraordinary measures to obtain them and keep them?" Booth asked.

The question left me feeling a little nervous and uncomfortable because I knew it would lead to some actions or thoughts that I had only newly explored. The letters had done an open heart surgery of sorts to me because of the acute awareness I now had.

I managed to calmly tell him that my work at the lab and the time spent with my closest friends brought me the most happiness. I was certain that I would go to greater lengths than he could possibly imagine to protect them. I managed to remind myself of feeling carefully suppressed. When our eyes met, the look was so intimate and warm that only the sound of two plates tapping the table could break the moment.

We ate in silence. It was as if we were both bringing our thoughts into alignment so to avoid an uncomfortable situation that could hurt the working relationship we had. I could see him measuring his response knowing that I would put the question to him too. I looked at him in a just –so way that my eyes redirected the question back to him.

"What brings me the greatest joys include being Parker's dad, doing the work I do every day, and getting to work with you every day. You know by now what I am capable of when anyone or anything I love, I mean makes me happy is threatened. You have no idea some of the lengths I have gone to protect those things." He answered obviously trying to hide the confession he had just made.

I wondered about how far he may have gone over the years to protect me. I found it oddly strange how one mean gang member never sent someone to kill me. I always presumed that it had to do with me hurting him. I now presumed that Booth had something to do with it.

He touched my hand gently as he offered that response and out of reflex I squeezed his hand as an acknowledgment that I understood the answer. Booth called for the bill and I left the tip. Ever the gentleman, he helped me into the cab and watched as it drove away. Sitting the back seat of that cab, I thought about how far all of us are willing to go for the things that bring us the greatest happiness. The thought still amazed me.

**Chapter 5 Thanks to John **

**Spoiler The Parts in the Sum of the Whole **

Sometimes the job I do takes a toll on me and makes me think about my own life in a different light. The people I interact with in every case have a different impacts. Normally the loss of an adult does not have as deep of a cut as the loss of child. The fact that I am a father to a son accounts for that. The case we had been dealing with for the last week had made me wonder what would happen if I had to face reality and no Bones there to face it with me.

The whole case began in a barn somewhere outside of DC. A farmer had found bleached bones splayed out in his field. Terrified by what he found, he called the police. Since the police really could not identify the remains, the remains found their way to the Jeffersonian to figure out who it was and how it got there. The bones had aged quite a bit so Bones deduced that this must have happened sometime ago.

After a thorough examination of the body and a thorough examination of the MP's archives, we discovered the identity of the remains. The remains were of a young woman who had gone missing back in 1960. She was last seen walking down the road in search a farm house to call for a tow. Her name had been Olivia Amsworth. She was 18 when she disappeared, according to the police file that had collected dust over the years.

According to the report, the last one to see her alive was a boyfriend by the name of Wally Conan. I knew that this case was going to test me because its age. It would come as a greater shock the kind of impact it would have. We conducted all the interviews that we possibly could, considering that many of the witnesses in the reports were dead or were nowhere to be found. We interviewed the farmer again bringing up an interesting clue to her killer and how she died.

The farmer remembered getting a letter from Vietnam. His son had told him that he knew what had happened to young Olivia and not to pursue it any further if he knew what was good for him. He would not know until later letters that it was to make sure his own friend would not arrange his own murder in Vietnam. Subsequent letter would, reveal the whole story and he knew who did it and why.

"My son and Wally Conan were sent out to Vietnam not long after they joined the Army. Wally admitted to him that he had raped her and ensured that she would never talk. My son never imagined that his own friend murdered her until he admitted it on his death bed. Wally told him that he committed the crime out of jealousy because he knew that my son was who she was interested in not him. Knowing that, he made her pay for breaking his heart. My son, John, fell in love with her and he told me in his last letter that he wished he had told her that." The old farmer said emotionally handing me the letters.

"My son John died on a mission right before he was to return home. I laid him in the ground never knowing the whole truth of what was in those letters until I discovered the bones. My son loved her and he died regretting that he never told her. He carried with him a greater regret. He told me he was ashamed of himself for not protecting her better." He continued with a tear rolling down his cheeks.

For the first time in my career the killer would never be punished in this world. Was he punished in the afterlife for his heinous crime? The old man had requested to tell the family everything while I merely watched. It was a touching sight to behold. Two families were able to grieve together after years of never knowing the whole story.

Emotionally drained by the time I got to Bones office, I sat down on her couch thinking about how his son had left the world never speaking up about how he felt. I had expressed my emotions in writing. In the subtlest of hints, I had expressed everything in my heart. I felt like something was telling me to confess out loud without a thought. For once, it was Bones who had to capture my attention. Lost in thought, I had not noticed how she had got up from her chair and that she had said something to me.

"Booth, Booth, Ready to get some food?" she said to me waving her hand in front of my face.

"Yes, I am." I said opening my eyes wide like a sleep walker that had been woke up in a nightly stroll.

We made our way to the diner in silence. I could see Bones looking at me very concerned about me because I had cracked no jokes or even said as much as a word since we left. Bones and I had been working together far too long for us not to see when one of us was upset or disturbed by something.

"Booth, are you okay? Do we need to get you home to get some rest?" she asked visibly worried about me.

Tell her you idiot and plant the best kiss on her you got, I heard a voice in the back of my mind say.

We were not far from the diner when the message my mind sent made its way through the nerves and vessels to my brain. The words were the first to come.

I impulsively admitted to having my eyes opened by this case. I admitted that I had spoken freely on paper, but had said little since our return. I heard myself admit that I loved her so much that it hurt. I confessed that I could not see my life without her. I prayed that she understood what I needed her to hear.

The look in her eyes scared me because I was worried to get the same response I had gotten over a year ago. I was waiting for the same response and the same compromise to come out of her mouth. Unlike that moment, her features changed from horror and fear to what looked like relief. That was all I needed to do the next step.

Without a moment's thought, I pulled her close to me and gave her the kiss that had been pent up since the day I got back from Afghanistan. This time she was responding to what I felt. She was kissing me back instead of pushing back from me. I felt the line in the sand erase itself. Catching our breath we looked at each other.

"Booth, I have been waiting for you to say that since the day I saw you at the reflecting pool. I am still a little afraid of the future because there is no telling what is ahead of us. I found out during my time in Maluku that I have been in love with you in a way that I hardly noticed before. I would find it very difficult if I had to gone on without you. I love you Seeley . If I can tell you that, then you know that I do. You helped me do that." She responded to my confession.

"Looks like we have a unique problem then ,don't we? How about we discuss the solutions over some food?" I asked relieved to know that I did not have to walk on egg shells.

Her admission had finally been made. The egg shells we had been walking on disappeared. I realized a new problem had come up for us.

We ordered our meals smiling for once instead of nervous. The waitress seemed to look at us strangely when she picked up the empty plates. I ordered another cup of coffee.

I asked her what she wanted to do about our new situation.

"Well, one thing is for sure, it would have to remain a secret for now. If anyone ever found out, I would not be allowed to work with you again. Are we in agreement with that?" She answered.

I took her hand and nodded.

I suggested that we take this one step at a time and one day at a time.

"The the logical first step is keep this quiet for now. The diner dates that is. I already know that Ange already thinks that we are dating. We just can't validate it though." She responded.

I suggested that we pay the bill and get her home. I remained the gentleman despite the urge to behave more inappropriately.

We paid the bill and tip walking out the door holding hands. I made sure to kiss her good night before she got in the cab. This whole night turned out to be a great thing in the long run. I had to make sure to go see John and thank him for the message he left behind for the rest of us. Tell those you love how you feel or leave this world carrying that regret.

BRENNAN'S POV.

The case left me wondering about life and how we find ourselves carrying regret. This case had been about a young man who left this world never telling a murdered young woman he loved her. I could see that Booth looked visibly upset with the case. Normally he is the one to remind me that it was time to eat and this time I had to un-zone him. He looked like a sleep walker that had been disturbed in his nightly walk.

We walked for some time and he did not say a word. It has never been like Booth to not say anything. He was the talker and I was the quiet one. The expression on his face said that he had something on his mind and he was not sure how to express it. That was when he stopped and looked into my eyes. I was frightened for a moment because I was thinking that he was slowly going insane.

"Temperance, I had my eyes opened today in a way that I never thought possible. I know that in my letters I said a lot. I have said little since I got home. I love you so much that it hurts me sometimes. I really could not see my life without you in it. You need to hear that from me and you need to understand that. I am waiting for you to see what I have seen for so long." He confesse, shocking me at first.

He then pulled me close to him and kissed me with the kind of passion that I had not encountered in any of my previous lovers. It was like all the emotion and passion that he had was unleashed on me in the form of a mind blowing kiss that I did not want to fight. I could hear my brain telling me I needed some air.

My mind flashed back to over a year ago when he did about the same thing but I froze and ran. If I recalled right, I had broken his heart and tried to say that I was protecting him from me. The letters that we shared had an effect on my reaction to this one. I knew he meant what he said because he has only called me by my given name one or two times. I could see the worried look on his face as if he was preparing for me to do the same thing I did before.

I found myself confessing things that I had held secret. I was afraid of the future even if he was with me. I admitted to falling in love, at least to the point I was aware when I was on the Maluku Islands. As hard as I thought it would be, I found it easy to tell him that my life was empty without him. He helped me to do that. His patience with me allowed me to grow so much.

"Looks like we have a unique problem then don't we? How about we discuss the solutions over some food?" I heard Booth ask wryly.

I knew that we would have to discuss how we were going to make this work out for us. We enjoyed our meals and after we were done eating, we discussed how we were going to proceed from here. We both were in mutual agreement that it would have to remain unknown even to our friends. As soon as anyone of them heard about it, it would make it back the wrong people all in due time.

He suggested we pay the bill and the tip. Hand in hand we made our way out of the diner. I was thinking that he would come home with me to continue the conversation there but he was the perfect gentleman of near perfect discretion. He kissed me good night and watched as the cab got me home.

I looked forward to the idea of exploring this new territory back at my apartment considering the passion that Booth put into the kiss. I was a little disappointed that he did not pursue the passion any further for tonight. He had a lot to teach me and I was willing to learn a step at a time. At least now we did not have to face any future where we would regret not speaking up, because it was completely out there. I never thought the story of a murdered woman and a deceased soldier could reach out to speak to the living.


End file.
